Rumor: Apple to again stay out of megapixel race with 8MP camera in 'iPhone 6s'
Apple has historically downplayed the significance of megapixels in measuring image quality, and the company may stick to that approach once again later this year with another 8-megapixel camera in its next-generation iPhone, according to a new rumor.
Any improvements to the camera of the so-called "iPhone 6s" may come in the form of other, non-megapixel changes, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co. Quoted on monday by the Taipei Times, Pu said he expects the next iPhone to have the same 8-megapixel count as the current iPhone 6.
As with the current iPhone, it's expected that Largan will supply camera lenses for Apple's 2015 iPhone refresh, the analyst said. He downgraded his outlook on Largan stock.
Rather than focusing on megapixels, Pu said that he expects high-end smartphone cameras, like those in Apple's iPhone, to focus on features such as optical image stabilization and faster autofocus. That's expected to benefit module makers more than lens makers, he said.
There have been rumors that Apple could introduce a significant jump in camera quality with this year's iPhone refresh with a new two-lens system. John Gruber claimed last November that the new system would somehow offer "DSLR quality imagery."
Claims of a dual-lens camera system were again reiterated last month in a report that claimed Apple would include optical zoom capabilities for the first time in an iPhone. The new camera module was also rumored to improve low-light performance by allowing more light to reach the sensor.
Monday's report, however, made no mention of the rumored dual-lens system.
In recent years, Apple has debuted its new iPhone models in the fall. If the company sticks to its current release schedule, the so-called "iPhone 6s" would be introduced and go on sale in September.
Any improvements to the camera of the so-called "iPhone 6s" may come in the form of other, non-megapixel changes, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co. Quoted on monday by the Taipei Times, Pu said he expects the next iPhone to have the same 8-megapixel count as the current iPhone 6.
As with the current iPhone, it's expected that Largan will supply camera lenses for Apple's 2015 iPhone refresh, the analyst said. He downgraded his outlook on Largan stock.
Rather than focusing on megapixels, Pu said that he expects high-end smartphone cameras, like those in Apple's iPhone, to focus on features such as optical image stabilization and faster autofocus. That's expected to benefit module makers more than lens makers, he said.
There have been rumors that Apple could introduce a significant jump in camera quality with this year's iPhone refresh with a new two-lens system. John Gruber claimed last November that the new system would somehow offer "DSLR quality imagery."
Claims of a dual-lens camera system were again reiterated last month in a report that claimed Apple would include optical zoom capabilities for the first time in an iPhone. The new camera module was also rumored to improve low-light performance by allowing more light to reach the sensor.
Monday's report, however, made no mention of the rumored dual-lens system.
In recent years, Apple has debuted its new iPhone models in the fall. If the company sticks to its current release schedule, the so-called "iPhone 6s" would be introduced and go on sale in September.
Comments
But what if your self-esteem is tied to megapixel count?
That's why Apple isn't going past 8MP. If they beat every phone in specs as well as quality, SOC performance, and profitability, you'd just end up with a wave of crying Droidsters leading an assault on One Infinite Loop.
Having said that, there is plenty of room for improvement in terms of focusing speed, ability to change the shooting speed to capture action, tracking, color accuracy, white balance, etc. I noticed recently when shooting some showrooms for a bathroom renovation that even with post-processing white balance correction, it was impossible to get the color of tiles correct. They looked different in every shot. And there should be simple controls to adjust exposure within the Camera application similar to the touch focus control.
I realize that Photos is coming soon, but I think Apple has far to go in terms of UI to manage photos. It's currently a freaking mess. Camera Roll and Photo Stream never match, most users don't know the difference and after having to restore photos from a backup folder on my Mac, I now can't add or delete photos from those "Albums" on the phone. It needs to work well for users who don't want to pay for iCloud.
Given the size and quality of the lens, I think 8 MP is already too high.
As usual, with these things, it's not that simple. Nikon and Sony came out with a 24MP sensor a few years ago, then a 36MP. Now Canon is coming out with 51MP cameras, and likely so will Sony and possibly Nikon. We've got 80MP backs for medium format, and scanning backs go to hundreds of MP.
What really matters is per pixel IQ, as long as they are equal, I'll take higher resolution any day. Even if the per pixel IQ is slightly less, much higher resolution allows binning, which still leaves you with, at a lower resolution, lower noise and a sharper image. And you still get the higher resolution for when you need it.
For smartphone cameras, the issue is somewhat different because of the tiny imaging sites, which are pretty much at the limit of practical lens resolution. So is the usage model. 8MP is high enough for a sharp 8x12. For most people, as long as they're not doing a lot of cropping, that's enough. The problem comes in because of the lack of optical zoom. Once you do crop, 8MP may not be enough.
But for Facebook, email, etc. it's fine.
The lens is actually quite good. I see notproblems at the edges and even the corners. I'm impressed, and I come from a commercial photography background.
But I need to reduce the complexity of better picture quality to a single number so I can win arguments on Internet forums!
And it's iPhone photos that are usually the best looking.
Another example of Apple doing way, way more, with less.
Them staying out of it for the LAST SEVEN IPHONES wasn’t convincing enough?
Having said that I can't wait to see what else will be in store for a 6S.
As usual, with these things, it's not that simple. Nikon and Sony came out with a 24MP sensor a few years ago, then a 36MP. Now Canon is coming out with 51MP cameras, and likely so will Sony and possibly Nikon. We've got 80MP backs for medium format, and scanning backs go to hundreds of MP.
What really matters is per pixel IQ, as long as they are equal, I'll take higher resolution any day. Even if the per pixel IQ is slightly less, much higher resolution allows binning, which still leaves you with, at a lower resolution, lower noise and a sharper image. And you still get the higher resolution for when you need it.
For smartphone cameras, the issue is somewhat different because of the tiny imaging sites, which are pretty much at the limit of practical lens resolution. So is the usage model. 8MP is high enough for a sharp 8x12. For most people, as long as they're not doing a lot of cropping, that's enough. The problem comes in because of the lack of optical zoom. Once you do crop, 8MP may not be enough.
But for Facebook, email, etc. it's fine.
I think the iPhone's camera is good for uses beyond Facebook/Instagram and email, to be quite honest. For most family photography it is a great camera. Obviously for most pro uses it is inadequate though Brassai and perhaps Koudelka may have disagreed (I assume those are considered 'professional' though probably not 'commercial'). To suggest that an iPhone can replace a professionally used DSLR is silly talk. As in the above article I always wonder how come analysts get taken seriously when it comes to technical projections such as why and what the iPhone camera developments are likely to entail. At least they should reference a camera expert by name when they make these claims.
One good reason not to increase the image resolution may be to preserve a reasonable file size. A far more useful feature would be an optical zoom that can preserve image quality and low light sensitivity, however. How that can possibly be achieved in a smartphone is another question. When achieved the term 'magical' may become truly appropriate :-)
Them staying out of it for the LAST SEVEN IPHONES wasn’t convincing enough?
Apple breaking nearly every record in the history of capitalism, and breaking every "law" of economics hasn't convinced these people that Apple isn't doomed, so no, it wasn't convincing enough. Also, the cheap iPhone is still being developed, as is the TV set, and this will finally be the year of Linux.
For "everyday shooting", my iPhone 6's camera takes as good a picture, if not better in some instances, than my 2008 Canon Rebel with 12.2 MP - itself still decent for amateur photography. It's surely a lot more convenient than wagging around several pounds of lenses, flashes, grips, memory cards, batteries, and adapters! Sure, there's no zoom or optical image stabilization and the depth of field doesn't allow good bokeh, but considering the iPhone 6 is primarily a...well...phone...it's terrific!
Many, many years ago I worked in retail when inkjet printers were 300-600 DPI just before the DPI race started. When it did, I saw DPI ratings go as high as 9600. It was difficult to convince the customer that higher DPI wasn't always better. The proof was printing out a 300 DPI image on one brand and comparing it to the 2400 DPI on another brand and seeing the 300 DPI image actually looked better.
Given the size and quality of the lens, I think 8 MP is already too high.
Good point. What so many people don't realize is that if you start going too high in pixel count with the small senors on phones, it actually starts degrading image quality.
Not quite. Effective resolution for binocular vision isn’t a direct 2x of each one.
For "everyday shooting", my iPhone 6's camera takes as good a picture, if not better in some instances, than my 2008 Canon Rebel with 12.2 MP - itself still decent for amateur photography.
In the old Rebel, you don't have programs that perform optical correction, among other enhancements that are readily available in most modern cameras and smartphones. But, if you take RAW and perform those corrections, I think the picture from the old Rebel can still beat latest iPhone.